The EU (ECOFIN) Council today approved the activation of the national escape clause for defense spending for Greece and for 14 more member states.

The activation of the national stability and growth escape clause will allow the 15 Member States submitted by the request, to deviate from the course of their national budget by up to 1.5% of national GDP per yearin the period 2025-2028, to facilitate the highest defense spending at national level, while ensuring debt sustainability.

According to the Council announcement, the Member States are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Portugal.

In practice, activating the escape clause, which covers a period of four years, means that The Commission and the Council may decide not to open a new excessive deficit procedure for these 15 Member Stateseven if they exceed the maximum course of net costs, provided that this exceeding is due to increased defense spending. For all other expenses, Member States remain committed by budgetary rules and must remain committed to the implementation of the revised framework for economic governance irrespective of the activation of the clause.

All Member States are committed to developing the necessary defense potential in the EU, as noted in the European Defense Council conclusions on March 6, 2025. while ensuring fiscal viability in the medium term. Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and its threat to European security are a “excellent occasion”. In this context, the 15 Member States have decided to request the activation of the national escape clause.

Finally, it should be noted that Germany’s request can be evaluated as soon as it has finalized its medium-term budgetary-democratic plan. The Council declares “ready to act on possible requests for the activation of the national escape clausal clause from additional Member States”.